Green Dragon (D
text Basic Dungeons and Dragons Dragons are a very old race of huge winged lizards. They like to live in isolated, out-of- the-way places where few men are found. Though the color of their scaly hide makes dragons look different, they all have quite a few things in common: they are all hatched from eggs, are carnivores, have Breath Weapons, have a great love of treasure, and will do everything possible to save their own lives, including surrender. From the time a dragon hatches, it is instinctively driven to collect a hoard of treasure and grow larger in order to become an Immortal. Once every century, and at different times for each dragon type, there is an instinctive drive to gather for a massive dragon conclave. Each dragon species travels to a different area on the plane where they live. Green Dragons hold their conclave at the deepest heart of the darkest jungle when Jade Dragons are not using it for their conclave. The purpose of this conclave is to measure the hoards of every dragon. Dragons of sufficient size with the most impressive hoards are granted the power by the ruler dragon of their alignment to magically transform and become an Immortal. It is only through the use of their hoards as the main spell component that dragons can gain Immortal status. Dragons must go through all the stages of development from hatchling to large to huge size before they can be allowed to transform into Immortals. This desire to gain a hoard and become an Immortal is constantly on the mind of every dragon no matter what its alignment. Dragon Hoard Evalutation At the dawn of the race of dragons, the leaders decided the value of every item that could become part of a dragon hoard. After this it was an easy matter for dragons to measure their status among themselves. At a dragon gathering each dragon truthfully details the status of its hoard (lying about a hoard is instinctively impossible). A dragon is able to relay this through 'Hoard Empathy' or 'Treasure Sense'; the ability to know every coin and treasure particle in their hoard and where such lies with in the hoard. The huge dragon with a hoard of proper size is allowed to make the transformation into Immortality. When the huge dragon activates the spell, with the help of its ruler, all of its hoard is used up in the spell. Magical items are highly valued by all types of dragons because their value far exceeds their actual size. Magical items with more than one power, like magical swords or artifacts, are especially treasured, because they have an even greater value. Dragons often try to bargain for such items or otherwise acquire them for their hoards. Green Dragons are prone to use force like all Chaotic dragons. Dragon Magic The spell casting ability of dragons requires no books or scrolls to work. It is similar to a cleric meditating for his spells, but a dragon gains spells from sleeping. The time it takes a dragon to recover spells depends on it's color. For Green Dragons it takes # hour of sleep to recover one spell level. A dragon cannot selectively choose the spells it recovers. It must gain them from the lower levels to the higher levels. If awakened during the process, only the spell it was recovering at that moment is spoiled. Although many of the greatest wizards of several ages have tried to learn how dragons work their magic, they have been unsuccessful. Dragon magic is instinctive and cannot be taught. Only those Dragons capable of speech may cast spells (30% of Green Dragons can). An adult Green Dragon will know 3 first level spells, and 3 second level spells which coming naturally where not chosen by them to be learned. As such each is determined randomly from the list of spells. Breath Weapon and Combat All dragons have a special attack with their "Breath Weapon" in addition to their claw and bite attacks. Any dragon can use its Breath Weapon up to 3 times each day. A dragon's first attack is always with its Breath Weapon. The number of points of damage any Breath Weapon does is equal to the number of the dragon's hit points. Any damage done to a dragon will reduce the damage it can do with its Breath Weapon. After the first Breath attack, a dragon might choose to attack with claws and bite. To determine this randomly, roll 1d6: * 1-3: the dragon will use its claw and bite attacks; * 4-6: the dragon will breathe it's breath weapon again. If the Dragon has already done this 3 times during an encounter, and is capable of speech and possesses an offensive spell it may instead use such spell upon this role should they be in a position that allots them time to do so. Otherwise, or if they have expended their offensive spells, they will always resort to claws and bite attacks. An Adult Green Dragon's breath weapon -WIP- Hatchlings Dragons have a racial empathy which allows them to communicate their history and traditions to their hatchlings. Among dragons that speak, this is supplemented with an oral history. If for some reason the dragon parents have died, the dragons at a conclave take it upon themselves to teach the young this dragon history. This knowledge includes the languages of many of the intelligent creatures the dragons have met in the past. A dragon hatchling is half the size of a young dragon. Its physical and breath damages are also halved. It remains in this stage from birth to five years of age. As it matures, a hatchling travels away from its birth place, stakes out a territory, and then takes on all comers until it has defeated them or has been defeated. As a hatchling grows it increases the size of its territory. Dragons of all types instinctively have the knowledge to tax intelligent races in their territories instead of eating them, depending on the area's food supply. The dragon's need for food in order to continue growing to huge size is as strong as its need to amass a large hoard. When not hungry, a dragon tries to use the taxation method to gain treasure. Hatchlings are apt to allow an encountered party to buy their way out of trouble. In doing this a Hatchling will have typically collected about 1/4 the treasure held by an adult by the time of it's transition into Young Dragonhood. It's lair will always be well hidden to prevent easy discovery. -WIP- Dragon Ruler: Pearl Pearl (Master DM Book) is the immortal ruler of all Chaotic Dragons. Pearl is known as the Moon Dragon, and should she ever be slain her spirit will return to her home realm and create a new body. She's attended by four huge Brown Dragons. Each able to cast spells. She will relax in the same form as her attendants (that of a brown dragon) to confuse Scrying. Pearl will when traveling into the prime plane go forth with a court consisting of 1 of each Dragon under her authority in addition to her attendants whose form she will have (that of a brown dragon). She is immune to charm, hold, paralysis, slow, death ray, disintegration, and poison. She is also immune to all spells of the third level or lower. She is immune to all dragon breath types, and dragon control items. She has with her a spellbook that contains all magic-user and cleric spells. While Dragons are born with innate Magic Pearl has taken to the active study of Magic- divine and otherwise. Cleric spells being gained with the usual amount of meditation. She can polymorph herself into the form of any Dragon type under her authority; including that of the Red Dragon. She can use the breath attack of each dragon type under her authority once a day in her normal or polymorphed form. Her personal hoard contains no less then three miscellaneous items usable by Dragons and she has one on each plane where her Dragons reside. While the origin of herself and The Great One (who rules all Dragonkind) is unknown she is believed to be a daughter of the The Great One. This however is not the truth. Pearl was a Red Dragon who came to rule over a plane inhabited by Dragons and inept knights whom she'd toy with much like a cat playing with a mouse before the kill. The Great One had already given immortality to a Lawful and a Neutral Dragon and thus for the sake of universal balance sought a Chaotic Dragon to complete the balance. Diamond and Opal both disapproved of The Great One's choice but had not the power to stop him, of which they did not try. Once granted immortality the Red Dragon that became Pearl transformed into her immortal form of pearlescent scale and great size. Dragons and PC Relations Dragons come in many colors, sizes and shapes. Most are intelligent capable of speaking Dragon and Common. For the Green Dragon 30% of the population are capable of holding a conversation while the others are semi-intelligent beasts with the instincts to go to the Conclave, acquire a hoard, and tax - though the inability to do the latter. The Racial empathy of Dragons allows them to communicate emotions and history through vivid imagery. Those who can talk are capable of using Dragon Magic. Large, old dragons are far too formidable for low level characters to combat, and even young ones are exceedingly dangerous opponents. Invaders of a dragon's treasure hoard are treated as any thief would be. It is recommended that until characters reach the fourth and higher levels of experience that only the youngest and smallest dragons be used. Dragons encountered in the wilds are after information, treasure, or food. If PCs can supply what a dragon needs, it can be counted on to leave them alone. If PCs have information on large treasures it is even possible the encountered dragon can be enlisted, but only for the greatest share of the treasure. This last reason is why unsubdued dragons can be found in warring armies. Chaotic dragons can be counted on (should they have a reasonable chance of victory) to turn on their partners after the battle in order to gain even more of the loot for their hoards. A Chaotic Dragon, such as the Green, is more likely to kill and eat members of the other races rather then capture them, but they sometimes do. Even the hungriest of Dragon will pause to listen to flattery. -WIP- Sources Category:D&D Category:Dragon Theme D&D